1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates, generally, to medical devices. More particularly, it relates to a device that enables accurate application of pressure to a limb being evacuated of blood prior to surgery or for accurate application of pressure to a limb where a stretchable bandage is being applied as a tourniquet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tourniquets are commonly used during surgery. Most major surgeries involving an extremity such as knee replacement surgery incorporate a tourniquet in order to minimize blood loss. It is common practice to evacuate blood from an extremity prior to performing surgery involving a tourniquet. This is done by wrapping the extremity using a stretchable band that is continually stretched during the application process so that a circumferential, compressive force is applied to the limb, thereby forcing the blood from the extremity into the rest of the body. While this process forces the venous blood out of the extremity, it also prevents entry of higher pressure arterial blood into the extremity. The wrapping is performed beginning at the distal (furthest from the heart) aspect of the extremity and wrapping proximally toward the body.
Although a certain level of force is required to successfully evacuate blood from each individual patient's extremity prior to activation of the tourniquet (due to limb diameter and the individual patient's blood pressure), the elastic bands used to evacuate extremities do not give any indication of the amount of forces applied to the limb and therefore the surgeon is left to use his of her best judgment as to the efficacy of the band's application. Also, individual wrapping technique could strongly influence the amount of force applied to the limb as an increased degree of overlapping of the band would increase the force on the limb.